JACKSONVILLE - North Florida women's basketball made its biggest comeback of the season to erase a 20-point deficit to defeat North Alabama, 67-65, Saturday afternoon to clinch a spot in the 2020 ASUN Championship coming up in March.
Ospreys of the Game
SWOOP of the Game
Jazz Bond make back-to-back buckets late in the fourth frame to put North Florida (14-11, 7-5 ASUN) ahead where it stayed for the remainder of the game.
Turning Point
The Ospreys kept North Alabama (17-7, 8-4 ASUN) without a score for more than eight minutes as UNA shot just 11 percent in the final quarter. North Florida used a 20-4 run to take the lead while holding the Lions to eight points for the entire fourth quarter.
INSIDE THE GAME
- North Alabama hit the opening bucket of the game before UNF charged back with a 7-0 run of its own to lead 7-3. The Lions chipped away at the lead with an 8-2 run before TIffany Tolbert hit a triple with just over a minute on the clock to tie the quarter at 11.
- In the second, the teams stayed close in the early going before the Lions used a 20-8 run to take a 40-28 lead into the break.
- UNA kept its distance for the early part of the third quarter, taking the biggest lead, 51-31, at the 8:31 mark.
- Senior Dasha Eremeeva scored all six of her points in a 17-9 run to close out the frame, 57-48 in the visitors' favor.
- UNF flipped the script in the final period, outscoring North Alabama, 19-8. The visitors made just two field goals, while coming up empty on six three-pointers.
- Green and Rhetta Moore converted their trips to the line to put the game out of reach and secure the comeback win.
FROM THE TOP
"This was a great win! I am really proud of our resilience and how we adjusted during the game. We competed and battled to get back in the game and then executed down the stretch to pull it out. I am really proud of this group." - Head Coach
Darrick Gibbs
Osprey Fast Breaks
- UNF converted 17 of its 20 free throws and now has taken 15 or more from the line in seven games this season.
- The Lions matched a season-high for opponents with 12 three-pointers.
- Moore finished with eight points, four rebounds and three asists off the bench in 30 minutes of play.
- UNF has now tallied seven home wins in four of the last five seasons and eight of the last 10.
What's Next
North Florida hosts Jacksonville Monday at 7 p.m. in the second edition of the River City Rumble. UNF snapped a 14-game skid against the Dolphins in the earlier meeting of the two teams.
